Katatonica

I have had quite a few of these 'accidents' in my 15 years or so in Phuket and the only time I didn't have to pay out was one in which I finally managed to find the right clip of the 'victim' ramming my rear wheel arch whilst I was stationary (as per usual), from the rear camera in my car. The senior copper there said to him 'why did you do that?' and my wife ran up and hugged him..! So I didn't have to pay out, incredibly, but there was no payment from the Thai guy to me.

Phuket: 2nd Visa Exempt entry in 2024 immigration said if I hadn't an onward flight I would have been sent back. Had 3 entries on TV before that. Said as long as I was on a short trip was ok if I had return flight without visa. 3rd one was fine, no problem, didn't need to see flight back or anything. 4th one big problem, had flight 7 days later, plus marriage certificate, told I would be sent back if no visa next time.

I imagine that it could also be policy to try to strangle a certain sector of the leisure/nightlife industry traditionally dependant on OG workers, which has definitely withered in Phuket over the last decade-plus, whilst the family-package hotels have hugely proliferated, but as you say, restaurants etc see far less income and certainly so in tips. Big new cheap food courts are packed though. One restauranteur told me recently that Russians account for 80% of room bookings on the West Coast.

I do not work in the oil industry, neither do I get a month off at a time. The agency (recommended by some members previously in this thread) I have been advised by is telling me that the marriage visa takes too much time and expense so are recommending retirement, although I am not retired. Nevertheless, the visa exempt gives 2 months extra for marriage and the TR (Thai family category) is a precursor to the marriage/retirement visas so either is perfectly appropriate.

Certainly not dark in the CCTV still above although the quoted time of death at the time he was found would suggest it was a lot later.

As explained, I am working in a country where I am not eligible to get a Thai visa and as it seemed to be common knowledge that VE's were unlimited, I think I made a reasonable choice. I get leave on a monthly basis so visiting my wife is the obvious thing to do with it. Even if I wasn't married surely just holiday trips should have been fine too. I have visited several other countries in the region very regularly with no issues at all.

I very much doubt I was denied entry due to contravention of Section 12 of the Immigration Act. I have no idea why I would be. The airport IO's also said the same about my multiple brief entries: 'free visa is not for visit Thai wife.' There was no problem entering whilst holding a Tourist Visa earlier in the year nor for my previous visit on VE-60 with a different IO.

Just reporting my experience then: I was stopped, questioned and allowed in with a caution that if I attempt to enter (Phuket Airport) again on VE-60, (ie after my 3rd time in about 5 months) I will be sent back. I was also informed at Phuket Town immigration office last week that the limit is 2 a year.

No, does not make sense, I am completely baffled. My wife is understandably very upset too.

Warning for VOA arrivals: I entered Phuket by air last week, 3rd VOA in 4 months, longest stay 14 days, had a return ticket each time. I did have a 60 day TV before that as I had almost 90/180 days in-country history and had been out for just 2 months.. They then moved to the 60 day visa and apparent unlimited VOA's so I didn't extend it or convert it. Question for anyone who can help: I am not sure - is it possible to convert TV to marriage or other annual visa (quickly) inside Thailand?. NB I cannot visit a Thai consulate in the country I work in as I do not have residency and it doesn't do eVisa. So the first entry after my TV had expired I was questioned a bit at the IO booth, produced my flight out a week later and he said 'ok but get a proper visa for longer stays, if you hadn't had the return flight you would have a problem.' 5 weeks or so later I enter again for 5 days, again with an outbound flight. Lady was very pleasant, says must be nice to see my wife, no problem with a few days visit at all, have a nice day. Another 5 weeks and I visit for 7 days, produce return flight, get asked why I'm visiting, so say to see my Thai wife. Get told in no uncertain terms that 'free visa not for visit Thai wife.' Tried to explain I cannot get a visa in the country I'm working in and explained why. Get taken to the office at the side where another officer asks me why I don't get a visa: I repeated why although he had discussed this with the first IO already. He then tells me I should look into the DTV. I left it at that and agreed to look into it although.. I cannot get ANY visa in the country where I work. They stamped me 60 days and I had a visit heavily marred by the knowledge that I really do not know when I can return. My next work break will be getting a visa somewhere: the IO typed for ages on my record and told me not to try entering without a visa again. Several officers told me the limit, by air or otherwise, is 2 VOA's in a year and anyone trying a third will one is likely to be expelled. Could it be that I have a Thai wife and do not have the visa specifically for that although I only come for a couple of months a year? They seemed far more concerned with the quantity of 'free visas' than length of stay. BTW my appearance was perfectly smart, long trousers, shoes and collar, don't have tats, a few million goes through my Thai account annually, ie no obvious ostensible reason to deny me unless being British is nowadays.. OK, but I am visa exempt, did I use the wrong term? Apparently there IS now a limit on visa exempt arrivals of 2.

Warning for VOA arrivals: I entered Phuket by air last week, 3rd VOA in 4 months, longest stay 8 days, had a return ticket each time. I did have a 60 day TV before that as I had almost 90/180 days in-country history and had been out for just 2 months.. They then moved to the 60 day visa and apparent unlimited VOA's so I didn't extend it or convert it. Question for anyone who can help: I am not sure - is it possible to convert TV to marriage or other annual visa (quickly) inside Thailand?. NB I cannot visit a Thai consulate in the country I work in as I do not have residency and it doesn't do eVisa. So the first entry after my TV had expired I was questioned a bit at the IO booth, produced my flight out a week later and he said 'ok but get a proper visa for longer stays, if you hadn't had the return flight you would have a problem.' 5 weeks or so later I enter again for 5 days, again with an outbound flight. Lady was very pleasant, says must be nice to see my wife, no problem with a few days visit at all, have a nice day. Another 5 weeks and I visit for 7 days, produce return flight, get asked why I'm visiting, so say to see my Thai wife. Get told in no uncertain terms that 'free visa not for visit Thai wife.' Tried to explain I cannot get a visa in the country I'm working in and explained why. Get taken to the office at the side where another officer asks me why I don't get a visa: I repeated why although he had discussed this with the first IO already. He then tells me I should look into the DTV. I left it at that and agreed to look into it although.. I cannot get ANY visa in the country where I work. They stamped me 60 days and I had a visit heavily marred by the knowledge that I really do not know when I can return. My next work break will be getting a visa somewhere: the IO typed for ages on my record and told me not to try entering without a visa again. Several officers told me the limit, by air or otherwise, is 2 VOA's in a year and anyone trying a third will one is likely to be expelled. Could it be that I have a Thai wife and do not have the visa specifically for that although I only come for a couple of months a year? They seemed far more concerned with the quantity of 'free visas' than length of stay. BTW my appearance was perfectly smart, long trousers, shoes and collar, don't have tats, a few million goes through my Thai account annually, ie no obvious ostensible reason to deny me unless being British is nowadays..

Many state schools are much better than many private ones: maybe the best ones should be restricted to.. er whom then? Or maybe they should just have their good teachers taken away and forced to work elsewhere then? Life is unfair and you can't level up everyone, all this policy is doing, as with the farmers, is punishing those at the bottom of the sector targeted for punishment.. Communism doesn't work I'm afraid.

There is no funding and improvement, just the removal of choice for people who largely work twice as hard just to be able to pay for their choice of education for their children. Most privately educated children come from perfectly ordinary backgrounds with their parents just wanting them to have the best education they can scrape the funds together for. Imagine how it feels to be pulled out of school mid-year and sent to the one in the nearby sink estate purely through a vicious, spiteful political decision that will not raise an extra penny for public education, in fact costing the state many more millions and increasing class sizes country-wide to boot?

There will always be a huge variance in state sector schools and buying into a better area will generally get you a better school. 'Buying privileges' (note that a plural doesn't have an apostrophe) as you put it will not go away. Now thousands of people will be leaving the British Armed Forces because they can't afford boarding schools and special needs children will not be able to get their niche education that is so necessary for their well-being. The sole reason I made the choice to go to a boarding school was that my local comprehensive made the national news when its assembly hall was burnt down in a riot, just by the way. The state education system will not benefit by this piece of pure envy politics, as is plainly obvious. There is a place available for every child at a state school and the private sector already reduces that pressure by tens of thousands of places. If the system was actually fair, the parents of those children should receive tax credits as they are not being a burden on the state. Private education is thus already a huge benefit to the state education system, taking it away is pointless even if it does make the spiteful far-left feel better.

Far more likely to be accelerator jammed to the floor. Hitting the wall at the speed necessary to demolish it and have the car follow through leads one to think he was going way too fast for a car park in the first place. Maybe got the pedals mixed up..? Or foot jammed, dropped his phone etc.